Rosier's Downfall
by Akela Victoire
Summary: Newly promoted Auror Captain Scrimgeour gets to work with Britain's best Auror to defeat one of Voldemort's most dangerous Death Eaters. Victory comes, but it has a terrible price...


"Alright then, men and women." Scrimgeour paced up and down in front of his squad of Aurors.

The newly promoted Auror Captain was briefing them on the mission they were about to embark on.

"We'll be working with a squad led by Alastor Moody today. This operation will be against some of the most aggressive, most violent Death Eaters out there right now. Evan Rosier is amongst this lot. He had a hand in the murders of the Bones family..."

The mood amongst the Aurors was both sad, yet grim.

"We're going right into the middle of enemy territory. They will attempt to kill us as soon as we come into their view. We've been authorised to use full force against them, so _do not hesitate._ "

He stared them down and to their credit, none of them flinched at the look he was giving them.

"Rosier, we believe, is the only Inner Circle member present, but by no means does that mean that the danger is lessened. He has Cursebreaking and Warding experience so expect the location to be loaded with traps. Lots and lots of unpleasant and rather lethal traps."

"So to add onto what Captain Scrimgeour said there just now..." Moody joined them in the room, followed by his own squad. "...CONSTANT VIGILANCE, men and women! You let your guard down and it _will_ be the last thing you ever do!"

"Very well then, Aurors. With that being said... You've all been issued reinforced compasses that will point you towards whatever you seek in case your wand is a bit... _occupied,_ protective gear on, wands working perfectly..." Scrimgeour looked the Aurors in front of him up and down in approval as was Moody.

"Not all of you may get out of this alive, but make sure that you take down some scum with you if that happens!" Moody barked.

"Let's go. There is no time to waste!" Scrimgeour and Moody led the Aurors to the Apparition point within their department and they were off.

Scrimgeour's first mission as an Auror Captain.

He hoped it would go well as a matter of pride, but as he well knew in this field, things don't always go the way you want them to...

* * *

Both teams Apparated just outside the wards of Rosier's home. It was large, but not quite manor-sized; the giant gate at the front made of black wrought iron.

"Alright, Aurors! Bring down the wards and raise up an Anti-Apparition jinx!" Moody barked. "None of them are getting out of here today, even if they end up in a grave!"

"Yes sir!" the Aurors said.

Scrimgeour and his squad went around the back of the property while Moody's team covered the front.

Pushing as much energy forward as he could, he focused on breaking down a now visible dark grey barrier.

It shot out blasts of... _something_ as it came under attack, which he swiftly dodged, even while maintaining his own assault on it.

The barrier began to sizzle and break apart; the hissing sounds it made as it disappeared filling the air over even the shouts and spells of the other Aurors.

Once the barrier was gone, he and his group moved swiftly forward, blasting the back gate apart and crossing a small bridge built over a pond just inside the grounds.

It was there that they met the first wizard resistance as about a dozen robed and masked Death Eaters streamed out, throwing about curses and hexes as they went.

Scrimgeour dodged an Entrails Expelling curse from one and fired back with his own lightning bolt hex, shocking the Death Eater and leaving him convulsing on the ground.

Stepping swiftly over him, he fired off another curse at a Death Eater who dodged, only to be hit with a Killing Curse from one of the Aurors.

"Good one, Braithwaite!" he called out to the young Auror, who nodded briefly before taking on his next opponent.

The sounds of chaos filled the air as both his and Moody's Auror teams fought their way through the many obstacles filling the house- Death Eaters not included.

Two of his Aurors had nearly been ripped to shreds by Devil's Snare which blocked off one corridor, but a third had stepped in with a Sunshine Charm which was nearly blinding in its effects.

"Pritchard! Osborne! Abbott!" he called out. "More Death Eaters to your left!" he fired a jinx over their heads that felled another Death Eater.

"Scrimgeour!" Moody came barrelling down the corridor towards him. "Rosier's holed up in the basement with some of his pals and they're trying to bring back up their defences! They've already taken out two of mine in the process!"

"Dead?" Scrimgeour levitated one Death Eater and slammed him into another, both falling to the floor and remaining still.

"Dunno. Couldn't stop to check!" Moody felled another Death Eater.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" He blew a hole in a wall and he, Scrimgeour and several other Aurors leapt through it, fighting off several more traps on their way further down, including a descending ceiling, spikes flying out of the walls and Confusion Clouds- which were clouds of something thick like smoke which messed with the mind in many ways when inhaled.

"Come on! Push through! We can't stop now!" Scrimgeour called out. "Keep going! Rosier is in here somewhere!"

He sent a beam of energy down into the floor, blasting apart a trap door and the Aurors dropped in one by one, finding themselves confronted by yet more opponents.

"Looking for me, ain't 'cha? Well, you're never going to get me into Azkaban!" A tall man with wild brown hair and eyes stood amongst the chaos, snarling when he spotted the two higher-ranked Aurors.

"Doesn't matter whether you go down in a cell or in a grave. You'll not be serving Voldemort again after today!" Moody spoke, even as he launched a curse at the man.

Scrimgeour joined Moody in the duel, even as the other Aurors fought other Dark Wizards around them.

It was a furious fight; spells flying everywhere, energy pulsating through the air, the ground beneath their feet, cracking with the sheer power that the combatants radiated.

Even with his high levels of both skills and endurance, Scrimgeour felt himself getting battle weary and when he looked into Rosier's eyes as he fought him, he could spot the weariness in the Death Eater's dark, furious eyes.

That was _never_ a good sign.

"I'll not be going to Azkaban. Never!" Rosier swung his wand broadly, flinging back Moody and Scrimgeour back into a wall, flying past several Aurors.

"If I die here today, you're all dying with me!" Rosier raised his wand and cast a spell that neither Moody nor Scrimgeour recognised.

The building began to rumble and shake; throwing antagonist and ally alike.

"Shields up!" Moody commanded as smoke began to fill the room.

Scrimgeour threw his strongest one up and hoped to Merlin that it would hold as smoke filled the room and the ground began to shake even more violently than before.

He heard Moody yell out in what sounded like pain and saw his silhouette somewhere to his right, bent over slightly and clutching his face, before the smoke darkened, filled the room completely and the shaking was finally enough to throw him off his feet.

Yells filled the room, curses, swears; but then the earth stopped shaking and all went still.

Through the smoke and rubble, Scrimgeour struggled over to Moody, who was missing a chunk of his nose.

He tried to dispel some of the smoke so he could see to help the older Auror better, but the smoke seemed resistant to any charm he tried.

Fetching a small vial of Dittany out of his pocket that had miraculously survived all the chaos, he dabbed it onto Moody's wound and watched as it healed.

"Dark magic though... It will never heal fully..." Scrimgeour muttered.

"Doesn't matter. We're alive at least..." Moody retorted, sounding as if he hadn't just been in a fight for his life.

Pained groans filled the air around them, but the smoke was still too thick; too difficult to see through...

After the smoke cleared, it was obvious that not everyone had made it out alive.

* * *

For the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Competition on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges forum Year 2 History of Magic class. Prompts used are below:

Word: Gate

Plant: Devil's Snare

Item: Compass

Adjective: Aggressive

Genre: Crime

Closing Sentence: After the smoke cleared, it was obvious that not everyone had made it out alive.

Extracurricular (Magical Theory): bridge, attempt, view


End file.
